Dr. Tania Israel has been appointed the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Faculty Equity Advisor for UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School. Israel will begin a three-year term on July 1, 2022. She takes over the position from Dr. Richard Durán.
The Associate Dean supports departmental efforts to enhance equity, diversity, and inclusion in such areas as faculty recruitment, faculty advancement and retention, and community building. In addition, Israel will serve as a liaison between the Dean’s office and the Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, who will convene Advisors, help to coordinate common goals and programs, and work with Academic Personnel and the Office of Equal Opportunity and Discrimination Prevention to coordinate trainings, workshops, and other programs.
“I hope that you will join me in thanking Professor Richard Durán for his exemplary service as Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Faculty Equity Advisor,” says Jules Zimmer Dean and Professor Jeffrey Milem. “Richard has been an important member of our academic community for nearly forty years and has dedicated his professional life to addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Just this year, he was recognized for his contributions to our field by his election to the National Academy of Education. Richard was the inaugural holder of this position in GGSE and set a high standard for excellence through his contributions to GGSE and UCSB.
“While I am sad to see Richard exit this role, I am very excited that Professor Tania Israel has agreed to be our new Associate Dean. Tania has been an important part of the GGSE for more than two decades and has made significant contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion through her research, teaching, and service, as well as in her role as chair of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology. I look forward to welcoming her back to the leadership team and to partnering with her as we move forward in achieving GGSE's DEI goals.”
Tania Israel is a Professor in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology. She has a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, a Master’s degree in Human Sexuality Education, and a B.A. in Psychology and Women’s Studies. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) and Past-President of the Society of Counseling Psychology (SCP). Her scholarship on interventions to support the mental health and well-being of LGBTQ individuals and communities has been solicited by the Institute of Medicine, Congress, and the White House. She has received honors for her research and advocacy from the American Psychological Association, the California Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, and her local LGBTQ community. Her TED Talk on bisexuality has been viewed by many. She is the Director of Project RISE, a research team at UCSB that develops and studies interventions to support the psychological health of LGBTQ individuals and communities. Israel is the author of the award-winning Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide: Skills and Strategies for Conversations That Work (APA Books 2020).
“I am honored to become the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for UCSB’s Gevirtz School,” Israel says. “DEI is central to the mission of the School and to the fields of education and applied psychology housed therein. We have a strong foundation, and I hope to engage faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders to continue cultivating a culture of DEI in the Gevirtz School. Together, we can build systems that support equity, uplift marginalized voices, connect across differences, and foster community.”